KRS 176.410: County or multicounty covered wooden bridge authority -- Membership of

authority -- Duties and functions of authority.

(1) Except as provided by KRS 176.400, at the request of citizens or organizations of a

county or multicounty region, the Heritage D ivision of the Kentucky Heritage

Council shall certify to the Governor the creation of a county or multicounty

covered wooden bridge authority for that county or multicounty region.

(2) (a) An authority shall consist of members appointed as follows:

1. The Governor shall appoint one (1) member from each participating

county, unless the authority has only one (1) participating county, in

which case the Governor shall appoint three (3) members from the

participating county; and

2. The fiscal court of each par ticipating county shall submit to the

Governor a list of three (3) candidates, and the Governor shall appoint

one (1) member from each list unless the authority has two (2) or fewer

participating counties, in which case the Governor shall appoint two (2)

members from each list.

(b) The members of an authority shall hold office for terms of four (4) years and

until their successors are appointed and qualify except that the terms of office

of the members first appointed shall be staggered. An authority may el ect by

majority voice officers deemed necessary by its members. A majority of the

members shall constitute a quorum. An authority shall meet at the call of its

chairman, but at least twice during each calendar year.

(3) An authority shall be dedicated to t he preservation, restoration, and maintenance of

all covered wooden bridges in the county or multicounty region for which it is

created.

(a) For covered wooden bridges not open to vehicular traffic, the duties and

functions of an authority shall be to:

1. Review, recommend, and administer projects and programs to insure the

proper preservation, restoration, and maintenance of covered wooden

bridges in the county or multicounty region for which it is created.

2. Advise, consult, and cooperate with state, loc al, and national officials

and agencies, and with the Heritage Division of the Kentucky Heritage

Council as provided by KRS 176.400 and 176.410, to accomplish the

purposes for which the authority is established.

(b) For covered wooden bridges open to vehicular traffic, the duties and functions

of an authority shall be to:

1. Make recommendations to the Transportation Cabinet and local officials

on the proper preservation, restoration, and maintenance of covered

wooden bridges in the county or multicounty re gion for which it is

created.

2. Advise, consult, and cooperate with state, local, and national officials

and agencies to accomplish the purposes for which the authority is

established.

(4) An authority may:

(a) Accept grants or other funds or property from any source, public or private;

(b) Enter into such contractual relationships as may be necessary;

(c) Acquire real property, by gift or devise or by purchase pursuant to the

provisions of KRS 45A.045, and hold the same in the name of the

Commonwealth for the use and benefit of the authority;

(d) Adopt rules and regulations necessary to the performance of its duties and

functions.

(5) Members of an authority may be reimbursed in accordance with the provisions of

KRS Chapters 44 and 45 for actual and reasonable expenses incurred in the

furtherance of the authority's activities.

(6) The receipt, control, and expenditure of funds shall be subject to the general

provisions of the Kentucky Revised Statutes governing fi nancial administration of

state agencies.

(7) (a) For covered wooden bridges not open to vehicular traffic, each authority shall

develop a program for the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of those

covered wooden bridges in the county or multicoun ty region for which it was

established. It shall select the bridges to be preserved, restored, or maintained

within a biennium and shall prepare estimates of the cost of preservation,

restoration, or maintenance within that biennium.

(b) The program develo ped by an authority shall be submitted to the Heritage

Division of the Kentucky Heritage Council. Upon approval by the division,

the authority shall submit its program as its biennial budget request.

(c) When an appropriation is made to an authority to fun d its program for the

preservation, restoration, and maintenance of covered wooden bridges, title to

all covered wooden bridges to be preserved, restored, or maintained under its

authority shall be transferred to the authority. Preservation, restoration, a nd

maintenance of covered wooden bridges shall comply with the program

approved by the Heritage Division of the Kentucky Heritage Council and shall

be administered by the authority. Each authority is authorized to enter into any

agreement or contract neces sary to implement an approved and funded

program.

(8) For covered wooden bridges open to vehicular traffic, each authority shall develop a

biennial list of recommendations for the preservation, restoration, and maintenance

of those covered wooden bridges i n the county or multicounty region for which it

was created. This list shall be submitted biennially to the Transportation Cabinet

and all fiscal courts within the authority's jurisdiction.

(9) There is established the covered wooden bridge authority for t he counties of

Bracken, Fleming, Lewis, Mason, and Robertson as a pilot project.